IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 577 

Recognizing National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness 

about the challenges of children in the foster care system, and encouraging Congress to implement policy to improve the lives of children 

in the foster care system. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 8, 2014 

Ms. BASS (for herself, Mrs. BACHMANN, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. BARLETTA, Mr. 

CUMMINGS, Mr. BENTIVOLIO, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. 

BISHOP of Georgia, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. BRALEY of Iowa, Ms. DEGETTE, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Ms. 

DELAURO, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. DEUTCH, Mrs. BUSTOS, 

Mr. DOGGETT, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. EDWARDS, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. FRANKEL of Florida, Mrs. 

CHRISTENSEN, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Ms. CHU, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. 

CICILLINE, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. CLAY, Ms. HAHN, Mr. CLEAVER, Mrs. HARTZLER, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. COOK, Mr. HECK of Washington, 

Mr. COOPER, Mr. HIMES, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. HONDA, Mr. 

JEFFRIES, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of 

Texas, Mr. KEATING, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. KILMER, 

Ms. KUSTER, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. LATHAM, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. 

LEWIS, Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. MARINO, Mr. MATHESON, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. MESSER, 

Mr. MURPHY of Florida, Ms. NORTON, Mr. NUNNELEE, Mr. O’ROURKE, 

Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. PETERS of California, Mr. PETERSON, 

Mr. PIERLUISI, Mr. POCAN, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. RANGEL, 

Mr. REICHERT, Mr. RICHMOND, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. 

DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Mr. SIRES, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. STOCKMAN, Mr. 

TAKANO, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. THOMPSON of California, 

Ms. TITUS, Ms. TSONGAS, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. WELCH, Ms. 

WILSON of Florida, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. HOLT, and Mr. VEASEY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Ways and Means 


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•HRES 577 IH 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing National Foster Care Month as an opportunity 

to raise awareness about the challenges of children in 

the foster care system, and encouraging Congress to 

implement policy to improve the lives of children in the 

foster care system. 

Whereas National Foster Care Month was established more 

than 20 years ago to— 

(1) bring foster care issues to the forefront; 

(2) highlight the importance of permanency for 

every child; and 

(3) recognize the essential role that foster parents, 

social workers, and advocates have in the lives of children 

in foster care throughout the United States; 

Whereas all children deserve a safe, loving, and permanent 

home; 

Whereas the primary goal of the foster care system is to ensure the safety and well-being of children while working 

to provide a safe, loving, and permanent home for each 

child; 

Whereas there are approximately 400,000 children living in 

foster care; 

Whereas there were approximately 252,000 youth that entered the foster care system in 2012, while nearly 

102,000 youth were eligible and awaiting adoption at the 

end of 2012; 

Whereas foster care is intended to be a temporary placement, 

but children remain in the foster care system for an average of 2 years; 


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Whereas African-American and Native American children are 

more likely to stay in the foster care system for longer 

periods of time and are less likely to be reunited with 

their biological families; 

Whereas foster parents are the front-line caregivers for children who cannot safely remain with their biological parents and provide physical care, emotional support, education advocacy, and are the largest single source of families providing permanent homes for children leaving foster care to adoption; 

Whereas children in foster care who are placed with relatives, 

compared to children placed with nonrelatives, have more 

stability, including fewer changes in placements, have 

more positive perceptions of their placements, are more 

likely to be placed with their siblings, and demonstrate 

fewer behavioral problems; 

Whereas some relative caregivers receive less financial assistance and support services than do foster caregivers; 

Whereas recent studies show children in foster care are prescribed psychotropic medication at rates up to 11 times 

higher than other children on Medicaid and in amounts 

that exceed the Food and Drug Administration’s guidelines; 

Whereas youth in foster care are much more likely to face 

educational instability with 34 percent of foster youth 

ages 17 to 18 experiencing at least 7 changes while in 

care; 

Whereas youth in foster care are often cut off from other 

youth and face hurdles in the participating in activities 

common to their peers, such as sports or participating in 

extracurricular activities; 


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Whereas youth in foster care are more susceptible to being 

trafficked, and more needs to be done to prevent, identify, and intervene when a child becomes a victim of the 

crime; 

Whereas an increased emphasis on prevention and reunification services is necessary to reduce the number of children that are forced to remain in the foster care system; 

Whereas more than 23,400 youth ‘‘age-out’’ of foster care 

annually without a legal permanent connection to an 

adult or family; 

Whereas children who ‘‘age-out’’ of foster care lack the security or support of a biological or adoptive family and frequently struggle to secure affordable housing, obtain 

health insurance, pursue higher education, and acquire 

adequate employment; 

Whereas nearly half of children in foster care for five or more 

years experience 7 or more different foster care placements, which often leads to disruption of routines and 

the need to change schools and move away from siblings, 

extended families, and familiar surroundings; 

Whereas children entering foster care often confront the 

widespread misperception that children in foster care are 

disruptive, unruly, and dangerous, even though placement 

in foster care is based on the actions of a parent or 

guardian, not the child; 

Whereas States, localities, and communities should be encouraged to invest resources in preventative and reunification 

services and post-permanency programs to ensure that 

more children in foster care are provided with safe, loving, and permanent placements; 


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Whereas Federal legislation over the past three decades, including the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 

1980 (Public Law 96–272), the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (Public Law 105–89), the Fostering 

Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 

2008 (Public Law 110–351), the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act (Public Law 112– 

34), and the Uninterrupted Scholars Act (Public Law 

112–278) provided new investments and services to improve the outcomes of children in the foster care system; 

Whereas the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children Bureau has designated May as National 

Foster Care Month under the theme ‘‘to help build blocks 

toward permanent families for foster youth’’; 

Whereas May would be an appropriate month to designate as 

National Foster Care Month to provide an opportunity to 

acknowledge the accomplishments of the child-welfare 

workforce, foster parents, advocacy community, and mentors for their dedication, accomplishments, and positive 

impact they have on the lives of children; and 

Whereas much remains to be done to ensure that all children 

have a safe, loving, nurturing, and permanent family, regardless of age or special needs: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes National Foster Care Month as 

3 an opportunity to raise awareness about the chal4 lenges that children face in the foster-care system; 

5 (2) encourages Congress to implement policy to 

6 minimize the number of children entering the foster 

7 care system, to improve the lives of children in the 


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1 foster care system, and to maximize the number of 

2 children exiting foster care to the protection of safe, 

3 loving, and permanent families; 

4 (3) supports the designation of National Foster 

5 Care Month; 

6 (4) acknowledges the unique needs of children 

7 in the foster-care system; 

8 (5) recognizes foster youth throughout the 

9 United States for their ongoing tenacity, courage, 

10 and resilience while facing life challenges; 

11 (6) acknowledges the exceptional alumni of the 

12 foster-care system who serve as advocates and role 

13 models for youth who remain in care; 

14 (7) honors the commitment and dedication of 

15 the individuals who work tirelessly to provide assist16 ance and services to children in the foster-care sys17 tem; and 

18 (8) reaffirms the need to continue working to 

19 improve the outcomes of all children in the foster20 care system through parts B and E of title IV of the 

21 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and 

22 other programs designed to— 

23 (A) support vulnerable families; 

24 (B) invest in prevention and reunification 

25 services; 


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1 (C) promote guardianship, adoption, and 

2 other permanent placement opportunities in 

3 cases where reunification is not in the best in4 terests of the child; 

5 (D) adequately serve those children 

6 brought into the foster-care system; and 

7 (E) facilitate the successful transition into 

8 adulthood for children that ‘‘age-out’’ of the 

9 foster-care system. 

Æ 


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